Some handy hints on doing a tiny bit less this year | First Dog on the Moon Chaos! Disaster! Even if it’s not your fault, whatever you’ve been doing up until now hasn’t worked has it * Sign up here to get an email whenever First Dog cartoons are published * Get all your needs met at the First Dog shop if what you need is First Dog merchandise and prints Continue reading...

Some handy hints on doing a tiny bit less this year | First Dog on the Moon #Healthampwellbeing #Mentalhealth

What’s a guaranteed way to find peace in these troubled times? | Fiona Katauskas It all starts with acceptance * See more of Fiona Katauskas’s cartoons here Continue reading...

What’s a guaranteed way to find peace in these troubled times? | Fiona Katauskas #Healthampwellbeing #Australianews #Mentalhealth

Here is the secret to successful new year resolutions | Fiona Katauskas It’s crucial to keep a sense of perspective * See more of Fiona Katauskas’s cartoons here Continue reading...

Here is the secret to successful new year resolutions | Fiona Katauskas #Healthampwellbeing #Mentalhealth

Take it from me, the queen of sleep – micro-naps will transform your life | Emma Brockes These little wonders will give you a much-needed boost, and this is the perfect time to practice. Go on, you only need 10 minutes I’m a big napper. World class, in fact. I can go from awake to the bottom of the ocean in five minutes flat, like a high…

Take it from me, the queen of sleep – micro-naps will transform your life | Emma Brockes #Sleep #Healthampwellbeing #Lifeandstyle

‘Why are my biceps so small?’ The boys and young men turning to steroids A generation of young people are being raised on a vision of masculinity that glorifies muscular bodies. Performance and image enhancing drugs offer a quick – but potentially risky – way to achieve their goal One month ago, Nick*, an 18-year-old…

‘Why are my biceps so small?’ The boys and young men turning to steroids #Bodyimage #Healthampwellbeing #Society

Banana bends and a well-timed coffee: 31 easy ways to jump-start your energy levels in the new year From morning drinks to bedtime sounds – and don’t forget a mid-afternoon boogie – experts share tips to help you boost your energy levels “A side bend stretches the intercostal muscles between the ribs, making more space for inhalation,” according to the…

Banana bends and a well-timed coffee: 31 easy ways to jump-start your energy levels in the new year #Newyear #Healthampwellbeing #Lifeandstyle

‘At 98, I wouldn’t be so sharp without puzzles’: do crosswords and quizzes really boost your brain power? We’re told that they give us a mental workout, but the evidence suggests it’s a bit more complicated … Miriam Raphael, 98, is a veteran puzzler. As a child, she pored over clues with her father and, later, as a teacher and mother of three daughters, it…

‘At 98, I wouldn’t be so sharp without puzzles’: do crosswords and quizzes really boost your brain power? #Puzzlegames #Neuroscience #Healthampwellbeing

Do you lavish attention on others but rarely receive it? It’s time to get in touch with your own needs Protecting yourself from the feelings that drive you may give you a sense of control – but it comes at a cost. Working through them allows you to lower your defences Recently I was walking to a session with my psychoanalyst when I realised I had just put…

Do you lavish attention on others but rarely receive it? It’s time to get in touch with your own needs #Healthampwellbeing #Mentalhealth #Lifeandstyle

Consuming arts and culture is good for health and wellbeing, research finds Exclusive: Engaging with arts improves quality of life, increases productivity and creates financial ‘dividend’ Most people are familiar with the buzz that attending a memorable play, film, concert or art exhibition can trigger. But now it is official:…

Consuming arts and culture is good for health and wellbeing, research finds: Exclusive: Engaging with arts improves quality of life, increases productivity and creates financial ‘dividend’

Most people are familiar with the buzz that attending a memorable play,… #Health #Healthampwellbeing #Culture

‘Just do something you enjoy!’ Have official targets made exercise a chore – and happiness more elusive? We all know roughly how many minutes we should be spending getting sweaty every week, thanks to repeated messages from national governments and the World Health Organization. When it comes to mental health, the picture is a lot less clear Rachel Ashe has…

‘Just do something you enjoy!’ Have official targets made exercise a chore – and happiness more elusive?: We all know roughly how many minutes we should be spending getting sweaty every week, thanks to repeated messages from national governments and the… #Healthampwellbeing #Lifeandstyle #Health

Readers reply: When is laughter the best medicine? The long-running series in which readers answer other readers’ questions on subjects ranging from trivial flights of fancy to profound scientific and philosophical concepts When is laughter the best medicine? John Forrest, Kansas City Send new questions…

Readers reply: When is laughter the best medicine?: The long-running series in which readers answer other readers’ questions on subjects ranging from trivial flights of fancy to profound scientific and philosophical concepts

When is laughter the… #Lifeandstyle #Healthampwellbeing #Mentalhealth

Exercising for 30 minutes improves memory, study suggests Research shows walk or cycle improves cognitive performance for day ahead – and day after For cycle-to-work commuters and those who start the day with a brisk walk, the benefits of banking some early exercise is well understood. Now scientists believe…

Exercising for 30 minutes improves memory, study suggests: Research shows walk or cycle improves cognitive performance for day ahead – and day after

For cycle-to-work commuters and those who start the day with a brisk walk, the benefits of banking some early… #Memory #Health #Healthampwellbeing

What does the tightness of our clothes say about our emotions? You’d be surprised Desperate to be swaddled, embraced or comforted? You may find yourself reaching for a skintight T-shirt or some Kim Kardashian shapewear Now that winter has arrived, with its bone-chilling winds and dark nights that start in the afternoon, I find myself…

What does the tightness of our clothes say about our emotions? You’d be surprised #Lifeandstyle #Healthampwellbeing #Mentalhealth

Now is the time to unplug and reset. Next year we enter a more dangerous world – but for now I need the silence of nature | Paul Daley The return of Trump demands extreme watchfulness. But effective vigilance also requires energy and strength, mental and emotional recharge and balance A long walk in the mountains last weekend brought sudden perspective to just how heavily the shoutiness…

Now is the time to unplug and reset. Next year we enter a more dangerous world – but for now I need the silence of nature | Paul Daley #Mentalhealth #Healthampwellbeing #Environment

‘My scars aren’t a finish line’: three trans and non-binary people on how top surgery changed their lives The number of gender-affirming procedures rose in the US, followed by an onslaught of anti-trans laws. For many, the scars can be a symbol of pride and resilience For many trans and non-binary people, top surgery – the process of removing breast tissue…

‘My scars aren’t a finish line’: three trans and non-binary people on how top surgery changed their lives #Wellactually #Transgender #Healthampwellbeing

Are you tired all the time? Me too – but I think I’ve worked out why Biting back anger, holding in tears: we use a huge amount of energy trying to avoid our emotions. And it’s exhausting Are you feeling tired?* I’m going to take an educated guess that the answer is yes. I think I know maybe one person who isn’t tired. One…

Are you tired all the time? Me too – but I think I’ve worked out why #Healthampwellbeing #Mentalhealth

‘The fatigue is not only real, it is absolutely legitimate’: why are so many of us so tired right now? There are reasons why in workplaces, homes, shops and schools there’s a sense that much of Australia is running on empty * Get our weekend culture and lifestyle email Every year we run this race, and every year we get to the finish line – the last…

‘The fatigue is not only real, it is absolutely legitimate’: why are so many of us so tired right now? #Australianlifestyle #Healthampwellbeing #Lifeandstyle

‘Narcissists – only more devious’: the truth about dark empaths They seem sensitive and caring – but really they just want to manipulate you. So how do you recognise the danger signs? It isn’t every day that psychologists identify a hot new character archetype. Human design doesn’t usually generate media stories…

‘Narcissists – only more devious’: the truth about dark empaths #Psychology #Friendship #Healthampwellbeing

How can you regain your appetite for life? Slow down a little – and savour everything We use all sorts of things to escape our own minds, from TV to drugs, sex and Instagram. But satisfaction comes when we give ourselves time to digest our surroundings and experiences Until recently, most evenings, after my toddler had finally fallen…

How can you regain your appetite for life? Slow down a little – and savour everything #Healthampwellbeing #Lifeandstyle #Food

The secret health hell of being scammed: ‘I felt as though my mind was disintegrating’ When people are tricked into sending funds to a fraudster, it’s not just about the money – the shame and stigma of being conned can have a devastating impact on their emotional and psychological wellbeing At the height of the first pandemic summer in…

The secret health hell of being scammed: ‘I felt as though my mind was disintegrating’ #Mentalhealth #Scams #Healthampwellbeing

Do you tell yourself you’re happier than you are? Stop the gaslighting Acknowledging your disappointment, rage or despair is a gift to yourself. This truth is the foundation from which a better life might grow Once you notice it, you feel it everywhere. This relentless, suffocating exhortation to be happier, to improve…

Do you tell yourself you’re happier than you are? Stop the gaslighting #Lifeandstyle #Healthampwellbeing #Mentalhealth

I’ve joined the ranks of people who track their exercise milestones on social media. Don’t hate me | Anna Spargo-Ryan As an uncoordinated sweat monster, I never imagined sharing my progress with an online community would boost my sense of purpose and wellbeing so immensely A recent report commissioned by Lululemon – an activewear brand known for its now-exiled founder’s…

I’ve joined the ranks of people who track their exercise milestones on social media. Don’t hate me | Anna Spargo-Ryan #Fitness #Healthampwellbeing #Mentalhealth

My father, a handful of spoons and his journey into dementia Looking through old cutlery was a safe haven for my dad after he became lost in ‘dementia land’ The days are long in Dad’s house in the last year of his life. He is mostly asleep in a hospital bed in the corner of the room, while I sit quietly on the…

My father, a handful of spoons and his journey into dementia #Lifeandstyle #Healthampwellbeing #Psychology

Do you strive to be in control of your life? It might be holding you back ... Beyond being in or out of control, there is an alternative – and it’s one of the building blocks to living well My family was recently taken down by a brutal stomach bug. It took us out one by one, and although nothing could be more predictable in a…

Do you strive to be in control of your life? It might be holding you back ... #Lifeandstyle #Healthampwellbeing #Mentalhealth